What the Heck I CAN Eat

When people see the list of foods I've dropped with my elimination diet, they wonder what the heck I CAN eat.  No need for concern. I eat lots of good fruits, veggies, herbs and some meat (which I often consider dropping, but not right now).  I'm only deprived of what I now call junk.  No more concoctions and casserole-type recipes.

The elimination diet is actually quite similar to the Paleo eating style.  The Paleo premise is to eat like your ancestors... food that was available to them, but prepared with today's cooking methods.  You shop mostly from the perimeter of the grocery store.

Source???  Or did they borrow it from elsewhere???

This new way of eating is taking a little getting used to, but I'm up for the challenge.  I'm exploring simple, back-to-basics cooking and trying to include a variety of foods that I might not have cooked much (or at all) in the past.  I'm having pretty good luck finding good things to eat by searching Paleo sites.

There are some Paleo sites that are better than others.  Many who say they are going Paleo seem to be trying to continue cooking their favorite recipes and baked goods with food substitutions.  Others are still cooking with things that are not in the Paleo plan.  As if just a little isn't so bad. According to my body, just a little can keep me in the bathroom half the night.  No cheating for me!   If I don't stick to the elimination diet, my body eliminates the offending foods with great speed and efficiency.  :-D

Watch for upcoming posts with recipes for foods hubby and I are both enjoying.  Hubby is my tester.  We BOTH need to like it for it to be considered successful.

I created this picture.  Feel free to copy!  Hippocrates won't mind.

Elimination "Diet" - Feeling Beyond Great!!!

Apparently, my body has found a new technique to make me eat better.  I have to say, it's very motivational.  If I eat certain foods, I get swift and unpleasant reactions.  I'll spare the details.  Let's just say that this may be a diet plan I'll be able to stick to. :-D

Photo Source - Houzz

For now, I've dropped all my likely food suspects - wheat, dairy, corn, peanuts, eggs, and a few others.  I also can't tolerate onions and garlic (sigh).  I am trying to clean out and give my body a rest for bit  

Dropping all the common allergy suspects
is called the elimination diet.  

It should be named the
Holy Cow I Feel Great diet.

Couldn't find the exact source for this picture, but the source for the top
section is somewhere on this site (which I have NOT explored at all)

Down the road, I could test the waters again by introducing a few things.  Maybe I will or maybe I won't.  I might not want to because, truthfully, I am feeling pretty great right now.  I've had a couple of mild headaches as my body adjusts (mostly when I didn't drink enough water), but the stomach issues have all but ended (Hallelujah!).

Also, of note, my body is rewarding me for good behavior with a couple of extra bonuses.  First, I am feeling fully awake and energetic during the day.  It's very Rip-Van-Winkle-ish!!!   I've been sleeping-walking for years and now I'm waking up.  Secondly, (knock on wood) I am sleeping better.  That's huge.  I don't think I've slept well in years.  It's too soon to think my sleep issues are cured, but so far, I'm really, really happy!

When people see the list of things I've dropped, they wonder what the heck I CAN eat.  Stay tuned to my up-coming posts.  I plan to share my favorite finds as I come across them.  Maybe I can make it easier for someone else with similar issues down the road.

I hope all the recipes I post will be ones anyone could enjoy, regardless of whether they have food issues or not.